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Africa Habitat Review Journal 14(3) (2020) 4(3) (2020 From Vernacular to
Modern: Transitioning East African Traditional House Design to
Contemporary

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AFRICA ISSN: 2524-1354 (Online), ISSN: 2519-7851 (Print)
Africa Habitat Review Journal
Volume 14 Issue 3 (December 2020)
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REVIEW 14(3)
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From Vernacular to Modern:

Transitioning East African Traditional House Design to Contemporary

Maureen Wangui Wanjiku* and Samuel Mwituria Maina

Received on 21st June, 2020; Received in revised form 27th September, 2020; Accepted on 12th
October, 2020.

Abstract
Looking at the present through the perspective of the past is not a new idea (Kamenju, 2013). This
paper involves insights into the traditional house design transition in East Africa. It entails the process of
development of African house design from traditional design to contemporary design. The paper discusses
a brief background of African traditional house designs. Using desk study methods, it analyzed in depth
- from a design perspective - three key cases of three East African communities; the Agikuyu of Kenya,
the Swahili of Kenya and Tanzania and the Buganda of Uganda. From the research, it is evident that East
African architecture has evolved and has been influenced by foreign cultures. However, significant African
elements still remain testimony to the enduring nature of East African traditions. The traditional African
houses play a significant role when it comes to trying to understand African roots. It is extremely important
that East Africans embrace and uphold traditional houses and get inspiration from them.

Keywords: Contemporary, Current trend, House design, Traditional African, Vernacular African.

INTRODUCTION to the current. However, there are individuals

House design in East Africa has been transitioning
slowly and progressively. As people become more
educated and as the economies grow, there has
been a rise in western inspired house designs. It has
been observed that economic status determines
the type of house for an individual’s life (Dowsing,
2016).
This is unlike in ancient East Africa where houses
were built depending on climatic conditions,
topography and geographical location, cultural
beliefs and availability of building materials.
Nowhere is this transition exemplified as with
the Agikuyu of Central Kenya. The Agikuyu is
a community in Central Kenya whose housing
culture has evolved over time. They had a specific
design which has been changing gradually (Hess,
2013a). Currently, as a result of this gradual change,
a big percentage of the Agikuyu has been using
modern and contemporary designs to build their
houses. Other communities, such as the Swahili
at the East African Coast (Kenya and Tanzania)
and the Buganda are affected as well. Studying
these three communities helps understand the
transitioning process from the ancient period
who have incorporated the traditional African
design to contemporary designs whose outcome
is positive, functional and acceptable to human
beings (Aliyu, 2015).
The objective of this study was to establish the
diversity of available traditional architectural styles
domiciled in East Africa. It was also to analyze the
design, materials, shapes and sizes, and cultural
influences informing such designs. Finally, it was
the paper’s objective to draw parallels between the
old and the contemporary to document the extent
of such transition from vernacular to current
western influenced architecture of East Africa.
THEORY
Ideally, traditional African houses are associated
with low income households. In Kenya, African
traditional houses are only found in rural areas
where they are associated with poverty. These
types of house designs are cheap to construct
as materials are readily available in rural areas.
However, other regions embrace the traditional
houses, such as the coast of Kenya and Tanzania

*Corresponding author:
Maureen Wangui Wanjiku, School of the Arts and Design, University of Nairobi, Kenya.
Email: 96.maureen@gmail.com

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where we find the Swahili community (Patsanza,
2016). Institutions such as the Bomas of Kenya
have preserved the African traditional houses.
Bomas, a cultural center in Nairobi, provides a
platform where locals and tourists can experience
different cultures from all over Kenya. Among
the exhibits, there are different traditional houses
such as huts, homesteads and granaries as shown
in Figure 1 (Wairimu, 2013).
FIGURE 1
Maasai manyatta
Source: Keyonzo 2019
Themes:
Materials
The materials were environmentally friendly since
they never had severe environmental impacts.
This could be because traditional Africans did not
have the technology to produce artificial materials
that would harm the environment. Most of the
materials were easily available and were sourced
right from the environment itself. They included;
mud (mixture of water and soil), grass (thatch),
animal waste (dung and urine), rammed earth,
wild coconut leaves, wood sticks and bamboo,
leaves and tree barks, and stone (Adekunle, 2008).
Size, form and shape
The African traditional houses were mostly huts
that were either round or oblong. The Agikuyu
and the Buganda huts were built from a circular
foundation and erected up to the top in the same
mannerism. Different communities used different
shapes and forms depending on their cultural
beliefs and climatic conditions. Design elements
used in African architecture include form, shape
and texture (Tetteh, 2010). For instance, the
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Maasai of Kenya and Tanzania are pastoralists
who migrate often in search of pasture for their
livestock. They constructed an oblong low-dome
shaped hut using thin leleshwa sticks and sapling
called manyatta. They used cow dung and urine to
plaster which is a deterrent to termites. The huts
were ideally constructed in a circle around the
cattle enclosure. These manyattas were designed
in that manner to resist strong winds since the
manyattas acted as a defensive barrier (Maimai,
2018).
Geographical location and topography
The physical location of a community determined
the type of materials they used. For example,
the Kikuyu used mud because their settlement
areas had clay soil. They used mud and sticks to
construct walls and a thick layer of thatch for the
roof (Figure 2).
FIGURE 2
Kikuyu hut
Source: Mtamu 2014
Climate
East Africa is a tropical region with a cool
and dry climate. However, there are seasons
when rains are experienced. Traditional house
designs in East Africa were highly influenced by
climatic conditions in that, different areas of East
Africa experience different climatic conditions.
Therefore, the houses were constructed with
the aim to solve issues that arose from extreme
climatic conditions. For instance, in the Coastal
region, the climate is tropical with high humidity
levels and high temperatures. Therefore, they
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used thatched roofing that acted as a natural heat
insulator (Maimai, 2018).
The Swahili from the Coast use coconut leaves to
construct their roofing because they are located
along the coast, hence coconut leaves suit them.
They used and still use these natural materials to
provide natural air-conditioning due to the passive
heat of the coastal region (Figure 3).
Depending on the availability or unavailability
of property, there is a question of what was the
ideal size of the traditional house. The techniques
applied in the building of traditional houses is
also another theme. Whether the traditional
people applied certain skills and whether they had
particular styles was to be reflected.
Early man craft
The early man created dwellings for need and due
to belief. Man used what was in the environment
to create structures which acted as shelter
from harsh climatic conditions that occurred
at different times of the year. Materials such as
mud, timber and stone would be used since they
were within man’s reach. Man developed a craft
overtime to improve functionality and add décor
to the dwellings (Adekunle, 2008).

East African Architecture

FIGURE 3
Swahili house
Source: Keith 2019
Culture
In some cultures, beliefs in the spiritual life after
death were elaborated in the burial chambers. The
Buganda of Uganda buried the royal family in
grass-thatched tombs at a place known as Kasubi.
They carried out rituals and religious activities at
the tombs. The architecture of the tombs signified
the spiritual and social significance of Ganda
traditions (Figure 4).
The Swahili
East African traditional houses show that East
Africans had different architectural styles. Arabic
architecture influenced the Coastal region’s
architecture where there was a strong presence of
Islam. When the dhow trade began, it linked the
East African ports to the Arabian and Persian Gulf
ports. An island known as Kilwa, for example,
thrived in the 12th and 15th Centuries. It was
constructed using stone. It influenced architecture
of mosques in Zanzibar, Dar es Salaam, Mombasa,
and other coastal parts. However, when the
Portuguese arrived in East Africa, all the ports were
burnt expect for the port of Lamu, Kenya (Hess,
2013b). The coastal houses were characterized
with use of coral stone, mangrove poles covered
with lime mortar for roof, fine plaster, decorative
niches and detailed curves on doors (Aswani,
2018).

The Agikuyu
Thereafter, Christianity emerged in the 19th
Century when the British colonized East Africa.
In Central Kenya, the Agikuyu had flourished for
years in farming. The British had seen potential
of their land; and they took it away from them
FIGURE 4 and settled there. Soon enough, they began to
Kasubi tombs make the Agikuyu work for them (by force) and
Source: Phs 2018

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in the process, they introduced education to the
Agikuyu. With education, came Christianity
(Gikuyu, 2019).
Christianity and education affected the Agikuyu
housing design in that the British had come with
new styles of design. In an attempt to hasten this
process, the British burnt Agikuyu homes which
were made of mud, sticks and thatch. Once Kenya
gained independence, the Agikuyu had to rebuild
and this time their houses were unavoidably
inspired by the British. The Kenyan Government
took over under the leadership of Mzee Jomo
Kenyatta who had already embraced the new ways
of British house design (Kamenju, 2012).
Rural settlement
In Gikuyu building design, a group of houses
made up a homestead. It consisted of the extended
family. A group of homesteads made up a village.
A village had communal structures that were
shared by all members. Building was a communal
activity (Kamenju, 2012). The houses were either
circular, semi-circular or rectangular (Figure 5).
FIGURE 5
Agikuyu village
Source: Keith 2019
The Agikuyu adopted the education system and
started schools in their communities while others
sent their children to missionary schools. Soon
enough, the urban areas began to gain popularity.
The educated and the financially stable were
the only ones capable of going to towns such as
Nairobi. However, education played a big role
in urbanization which affected the traditional
African house design, both negatively and
positively (Kamenju, 2012).
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The Buganda
The Buganda is a community from Uganda
located along the shore of Lake Victoria. They are
a Bantu speaking community that was formed in
the 14th Century. The Kabaka was the ruler of
the community, possessing power over the entire
region with a sizeable army at his disposal by the
19th Century. The Buganda community live in
huts which they referred to as obusisila. These
huts were circular in shape, built out of mud
plastered on wood wattle and a thatch roof. The
Kabaka had a special hut design as his hut was
meant to signify stature and importance. During
the reign of Kabaka Mutesa I, foreign influences
such as Christianity and Islam began creeping in.
The British declared it a British colony by 1900
(Buganda, 2008).
RESEARCH METHODS
This is a qualitative research relating to East
African architecture. There are three case studies
that were conducted. The Agikuyu study was
a desktop study combined with observation of
a village known as Gabugi in Gilgil, Nakuru
County. The area is inhabited by the Agikuyu
speaking group and has traditional houses due to
its remote location. The Swahili and Buganda case
studies were done through desktop research due
to limitation of resources and time.
Purposive sampling was used. This sampling
method allowed for exploration of East African art
which was the scope for this paper. The Agikuyu
community was picked due to the researcher’s
affiliation to the community, proximity and
location that allowed for observation to be done.
The Buganda is one of the biggest communities in
Uganda calling for an interest in the community.
The Swahili community was picked due to the
connection it creates among the East African
fraternity as a whole in terms of culture, language
and architecture. The data is analyzed qualitatively
in line with the themes present in this paper.
RESULTS
Similarities of The Agikuyu, Swahili and
Buganda Houses
The commonality of place, culture and climate
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seems to have conspired to determine East African They settled around Mount Kenya, Nyandarua
architecture. The following is a discussion of their and near Nairobi. The Agikuyus’ economic activity
effects and their manifestation. was farming. Their land was rich when it came
to agriculture. The Agikuyu constructed their
i. All three communities used sustainable
houses communally (Droz, 2017). The houses
materials such as thatch, wood and earth.
were circular and were made of mud, sticks and
ii. The house designs were inspired by thatch (Figure 6). When the Agikuyu interacted
their traditional beliefs and religion. with the Maasai, they adopted a couple of things;
iii. All communities had a sort of hierarchy one of which was rearing livestock. They now kept
where the aristocrats had better houses than the livestock for trade and food. They also learnt the
commoners in the community. art of plastering mud walls and floors with animal
waste and urine from the Maasai.
iv. All the communities were influenced
by other parties when it came to building their
houses over time. The Swahili were influenced
by the Arabs, Persians and the Europeans, the
Agikuyu were influenced by the missionaries and
the British while the Buganda were influenced by
the Indians and the British.
v. The shape of the African traditional
houses was circular for all communities.

Differences between Agikuyu, Swahili and

Buganda houses
While there are many similarities, likewise,
differences are also far apart from each other. The
following are the differences observed from the
findings of this study. Mostly, from findings, the
differences are occasioned by location and local
climate.
i. The geographic location of communities
affected the method in which the houses were
constructed. For instance, the Swahili used makuti
as a coolant while the Buganda and the Agikuyu
used elephant thatch to prevent water from leaking
during the rainy season.
ii. Materials used: the Agikuyu used mud,
sticks and thatch; the Buganda used mud, wattle
reed and elephant grass while the Swahili used
coconut leaves, mangrove sticks and mud.
FIGURE 6
Gikuyu traditional huts
Source: Macharia 2018
Different age groups and genders lived in different
houses. The homestead compound consisted of
a man’s house, his wife(ve)’s house(s) and son’s
house(s) (Figure 7). The traditions and beliefs of
the Agikuyu stated that men and women could not
live in the same house. A woman would sleep in
the same hut with her daughters and her younger
sons. Once the son was initiated into adulthood
through circumcision, he would move into his
own hut known as thingira (Mukuyu, 2014).
Figure 8 shows the woman’s hut.

DISCUSSION The missionary influence

The Agikuyu In the beginning of the 19th Century, Christian

Ancient Agikuyu people
The Agikuyu belong to the North-Eastern Bantu
ethnic group. From the 15th to the 18th Centuries,
this community migrated from Central Africa
through Tanzania and settled in Central Kenya.
missionaries arrived in Kenya with the aim of
introducing Christianity to curb the growth rate
of Islam. The missionaries set up missionary
centers where they started missionary schools.
The missionaries begun to get concerned about
the health of the Agikuyu. They associated the

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FIGURE 7
The Agikuyu homestead
Source: Kamenju 2012
FIGURE 8
The Agikuyu woman’s hut
Source: Mukuyu 2014
cause of diseases with poor hygiene in the way
their homes were set up. They first began to
encourage the Kikuyu people to build latrines in
their homesteads. Since the Agikuyu children were
already going to missionary schools, it was easier
to use the young learners to spread the word about
hygiene. The missionaries also taught young men
carpentry, masonry and construction skills while
the ladies were taught domestic science, child care
and physical and moral training. The missionaries
involved these trainees in building churches and
schools that they were setting up (Kamenju, 2012).
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The British influence and the effects of
colonization
Around the time the missionaries gained
popularity among the Agikuyu, the British came
to Kenya and took the Agikuyu’s land, naming it
the white highlands. The Agikuyu were displaced
while others migrated to other parts of Kenya. The
British then introduced the hut tax which required
rupees from each hut of the Agikuyu community.
Those that could not afford the levy were forced
into hard labor. This later on triggered the Mau
Mau rebellion which fought for independence and
liberated the people from British rule (Kamenju,
2012).
Agikuyu house designs after independence
During the war period, Agikuyu homes had been
burnt down by the British. Therefore, at the end of
the war, they had to rebuild. Since some Agikuyu
people had carpentry and home science skills,
the houses they rebuilt seemed to have a more
sharpened look. They built rectangular houses
with latrines, a fence and the land had been sub-
divided into portions. The elite started to go to live
in towns for purposes of education and work.
While coming back to their homes they would
bring new technology, such as the use of iron
sheets for roofing. Soon enough, the Agikuyu
began to use wood for walls and iron sheets for
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roofs (Figure 9). In the 20th Century, some The Swahili

people were still living in mud houses while the
The Swahili are a community found along the East
more privileged ones lived in new houses. Some
African Coast. They settled in areas such as Lamu,
Agikuyu, such as Mzee Jomo Kenyatta who was
Takwa, Pemba, Zanzibar, Dar es Salaam, and
then the president of Kenya, managed to build
other coastal areas. Due to the ease of access to
stone houses. Others who were in government
the Indian Ocean, the Swahili got their livelihood
or had postions of power also managed the same
through trade with the Arabs and the Persians.
(Kamenju, 2012).
This interaction influenced the Swahili house
designs.

Traditional Swahili house

The African traditional houses were made of mud,
sticks and thatch known as makuti (Figure 11).
With time, a new form of house design emerged.
This style consisted of Arabic and Persian culture
FIGURE 9 mixed with the traditional African culture. This
Agikuyu transitioning house design occurred due to trade with Persians and the Arabs
Source: Author 2019 which was aided by the monsoons winds which
lead them to the East African coast. Since the ports
were the main source of livelihood, the coastal
people flourished and so did their architecture
Agikuyu houses in the 21st Century (Aswani, 2018).
In the 21st Century, a lot of the Agikuyu begun to
use iron sheets. A decade later the Agikuyu started
building masonry houses. Western civilization
hit its pick and stone houses were associated with
status and privilege. Currently, the Agikuyu still use
the western way of constructing houses. Figure 10
shows a modern house in Ruiru, Kiambu County,
an area traditionally occupied by the Agikuyu
community.

FIGURE 11
Traditional Swahili house
Source: Aswani 2018

Swahili mosques
Due to the influence of trade, some Arab traders
intermarried with the local Swahili people. They
then settled and begun to introduce the Islamic
culture to the Coastal people. With time, they
FIGURE 10
started building mosques and stone houses. The
Contemporary Agikuyu houses traditional African people then adopted the stone
Source: Jacent 2019 houses but they still kept their artistic features.
The mosques were made of stone. There were
columns and the designs of the mosques had

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vaults at different intervals (Figure 12). In the
19th Century, the Portuguese came into the East
African Coast and also built their own houses.
When the British colonized Kenya and Uganda,
they constructed the railway which began from the
Kenyan Coast all the way to Uganda. This had an
impact on the people’s livelihoods and curbed the
Islamic religion which was growing at an alarming
rate all over East Africa.
FIGURE 12
Swahili mosque
Source: Hirst 2019
Foreign traders influence on the Swahili
Most buildings at the coast are traced back to the
18th Century. The architecture of these houses
shows Arabic, Persian, European and African
influences.
Characteristics of Swahili houses;
• Curved doors: The Swahili curved
intricate designs on the wooden doors. There were
different carvings for different towns.
• Beautifully styled balconies: These were
made so as to provide a chilling effect to the house
due to the heat.
• Thatch roofing: This acted as natural
heat insulators
• Courtyards: The houses contained
courtyards that cut through different oblong
rooms to provide a cool environment in the house
(Figure 13).
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FIGURE 13
Swahili houses
Source: UNESCO 2019
Development of the Swahili house design
The Swahili Coast was small and compact and
only comprised of the mosques and the flat roofed
stone houses. However, after independence in
Kenya, population grew along the East African
Coast. The town became congested and was only
separated by narrow and huddled paths along
the coast. However, the more privileged lived in
houses that were cuboid in shape and had a flat
roof with a crenellate parapet. The houses had
shuttered windows facing the open space in order
for the breeze to cool the occupants.
The open balconies would serve the purpose of
cooling the occupant as well as giving privacy to
the women who wanted to relax without mingling
with other people. The walls were rich in plaster
decorations while the balconies were supported
by mangrove poles with beautiful carvings. In the
19th Century, the Swahili introduced geometric
form in their style. They also used leaf abstracts as
well as floral patterns as inspiration to carve on the
doors and other items. The ornamental carving on
main entrance doors became a style. The Swahili
walls were made up of coral stone bonded with
slake lime and mud. Coral remains were used on
external walls which gave a white smooth finish.
The ceilings were made up of mangrove wood
slates and coral blocks. The roof was made of
thatch (Figure 14).
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Construction of the hut started with the poles

being erected then the thatch was placed from
the roof heading to the ground. The thatch used
was elephant grass mixed with mud. The royal hut
was built with 52 ‘rings’ made of reed as shown in
Figure 15. The rings represented 52 tribes of the
Kabaka. The front porch was circular and faced
east. It was believed that the Buganda ancestors
came from the East and this was therefore a way
of paying respects to the ancestors. However, the
huts of the commoners could face any direction.
FIGURE 14 The thatch is about 300 millimeters thick for the
Swahili houses in the 21st Century purpose of waterproofing the hut. The roof widens
Source: Aswani 2018
downward so that during the rainy season, the
water would flow downwards.

The Buganda
In the 19th Century, Ssekabaka King Ssuna II built
The Buganda are a Bantu speaking community the biggest hut known as the Kasubi tombs. It was
located in present day Central Uganda. Buganda the largest hut in the world and the Kabaka were
was founded in the 14th Century when the buried there. King Ssuna II hired an architect from
ruler of the community, known as the Kabaka, India to construct the hut. The hut was recognized
gained dominance over the Ganda people. By the as an African heritage until it burnt down in 2010.
19th Century, Buganda had become the largest However, efforts to build another hut are ongoing.
and most powerful territory in the region. The The hut being built is estimated to take ten years
Buganda lived in circular huts known as obusisila. to be complete. The Buganda kingdom still exists
It is to be noted that the Kabaka’s hut was much in Uganda and some people still live in African
bigger and more adorned as compared to the rest traditional houses (Figure 16).
of the huts. The general hut shape was circular and
built of mud that was applied to a wooden wattle
of reed and thatch. Thick woven rings were built
around the house and a straight pole built at the
center to hold the roof together. This kind of hut
did not require a foundation as the long straight
pole at the middle of the hut was strong and firm
(Figure 15).

FIGURE 16
The Kabaka’s hut
Source: Ugandasafaristour, 2019

Contemporary buildings in Buganda

The demand for better housing in the country led
to a vibrant real estate market. For instance, the
FIGURE 15 establishment shown in Figure 17 is just 9km away
Interior structure of the roof from Kampala, which is the Buganda hotspot. The
Source: Dcruz 2019 houses embody Spanish, Swahili, Cape Dutch and
modern styles.

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FIGURE 17
Contemporary houses in Uganda
Source: Wambui 2011
Buildings in Kampala are mostly modern. They
were conceptualized as modernist and post-
modernist design styles, for instance, the Uganda
Coffee Marketing Board Complex, Uganda
Complex Headquarters, and Charm Towers
buildings (Figure 18).
FIGURE 18
An example of contemporary buildings Uganda
Source: Mushoborozi 2019
Contemporary Buildings Inspired by
Traditional African Housing
Overtime, these communities have adopted
modern house design styles. However, building
design inspired by African traditional culture
is still evidenced to date. Some examples are
discussed below.
African Heritage House
The African Heritage house is situated along
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Mombasa road, Mlolongo, Kenya. It was designed
by Alan Donovan who is also the owner of the
house. The house has artistic and architectural
elements from all over Africa (Figure 19).
The house overlooks the Nairobi National Park
and is meters away from the railway. There is a
combination of mud architecture inspired by
the Great Mosque of Djenne in Mali, along with
other cultures from all over Africa. The house has
a section styled with the inspiration of African
traditional Swahili designs, especially near the
pool. Several rooms also have the Swahili beam
ceilings, the coral stone wall finish and the Swahili
furniture. There is also a display of Ugandan
sculpture that seems to be made and inspired
by African traditional art. The house also has
a Moroccan influence in the bathrooms and
windows. Both the interior and exterior spaces of
the house generally give an African traditional feel
(Munene, 2017).
FIGURE 19
African Heritage house with Swahili design
Source: Munene 2017
The Kenya National Library
The Kenya National Library located in Upper Hill,
Nairobi, was inspired by the iconic African drums
(Figure 20). Drums were musical instruments
used to communicate over long distances in the
traditional African setting. These instruments
were also used in ceremonies and festivals. The use
of drums in the library design signifies the social
interaction in the society and the preservation of
knowledge for future use (Kakulatombo, 2017).
Kenyatta International Convention Center
(KICC)
This building is easily spotted in the Central
Business District of Nairobi (Figure 21). The
building was designed by the Norwegian architect
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Karl Nostvik and a Kenyan architect named
David Mutiso. There are different analogies on
the inspiration of the tall structure. For instance,
Jacqulie Lesley, who was Nostvik’s partner, said
that Nostvik used the idea of the open and closed
flower. In a certain newspaper article, it was
recorded that the top symbolized the African
Baraza. In an interview with Citizen Television,
Mutiso said that the design was inspired by a
donkey’s penis. As these theories went around,
the commonality they had is that they revolved
around East African traditional culture (Shiundu,
2018).
FIGURE 20
Kenya National Library, Upper Hill, Nairobi
Source: Kakulatombo 2019
FIGURE 21
Kenyatta International Convention Center (KICC)
Source: Shiundu 2018
Bird Nest
The Bird Nest is the most luxurious retreat centre
in Kenya. It is located in Laikipia, a region between
Mount Kenya and the Great Rift Valley (Figure
22). The Nest was designed by an architect named
Daniel Pouzet. The owners Segera Retrear and Nay
Palad wanted an accommodation that was elevated
above the trees, near a river and around wildlife.
The resort was constructed using timber, wood,
sticks and branches woven by the local people.
The roof is thatched using sticks and provides a
360-degree view. All the materials were sourced
locally. This house is a good example of modern
African house design. It uses sustainable materials
and the design is inspired by the environment
(Herz, 2017).
FIGURE 22
The Bird Nest, Laikipia
Source: Herz 2017
CONCLUSION
It is evident that East African architecture has
transitioned overtime, influenced by foreign
cultures. However, African elements still remain
testimony to the enduring nature of East African
traditions. The traditional African houses hold a
lot of weight when it comes to trying to understand
African roots. It is extremely important that East
Africans uphold these houses and get inspiration
from them. The future generations need to be able
to understand what the culture is all about and
that can only be done by preserving this culture.
As the design field transitions, designers should
be able to incorporate the traditional African
house design along with the new designs.
RECOMMENDATIONS
The following are recommendations on how
African traditional architecture and culture can
be preserved;
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Wanjiku & Maina / Africa Habitat Review 14(3) (2020) 2081-2093
i. Encourage the government to impose
laws that require Kenyans to have East African
elements when constructing their houses.
ii. Introduce East African traditional
design, art and crafts in the school curriculum so
that as the new generation comes, they may still be
able to uphold the culture.
iii. Introduce awards that recognize
African houses and their designers.
iv. Reduce import of building materials
and encourage the use of readily available and
sustainable materials for building houses.
These recommendations are meant to encourage
East African people to incorporate African
architectural culture and design in their lives. It
is noted that the African culture may be slowly
fading away, therefore there is need to uphold the
culture for the sake of African identity.
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